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As summer heats up, blood donations are going down. Last month, we collected over 26,000 fewer blood donations than needed to meet the needs of patients. Tiffany Taylor with the American Red Cross says it’s common to see blood donation declines this time of year as more people are traveling and fewer blood drives in places like schools. But she says the need for blood doesn’t take *** summer break when blood donations are low. This can lead to blood shortages which affect our ability to support cancer patients in their treatment. It affects our ability to respond to medical emergencies and chronic conditions. If blood isn’t readily available, it can also lead to postponement of elective surgeries. Taylor says low donations are especially concerning for the approximately 100,000 Americans who suffer from sickle cell disease. There is no widely available cure and they often rely on regular blood transfusions to manage their pain and prevent life threatening complications. While donors of all blood types are needed. The Red Cross is especially in need of type O which is always in high demand for health. Minute. I’m Mandy Gaither
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Giving blood could be an unconventional Mother’s Day gift that gives the gift of life
Updated: 6:03 PM PDT May 11, 2024
Many of us are scrambling to find the perfect Mother’s Day gift, but what if there was a present that could truly save a life? Dr. Marci Peralta, a Colorado doctor of obstetrics and gynecology, knows firsthand the power of a single blood donation, and is hoping you can appreciate, too.Every Mother’s Day is a celebration of life for Peralta, thanks to the generosity of strangers. A seemingly routine delivery for her own second child took a dramatic turn when the heart rate for the baby started to drop. “Things went from totally fine to very scary,” she told KCNCRelated video above: Last year, an expert explained that it’s common to see a decline in blood donations in the early summer monthsDoctors were able to stabilized her baby, but the scares were not over. Peralta suffered a massive hemorrhage from an amniotic fluid embolism, a condition that can be fatal without immediate blood transfusions. Fortunately, the hospital had recently become a trauma center and was stocking a larger blood bank.”I actually used all the blood in the blood bank for the hospital for that day,” Peralta said. That amounted to 30 units, enough to completely replace her blood volume two-and-a-half times. Those 30 units came from 30 blood donors in Colorado, who she credits with saving her life.”I’m here for birthdays, home runs, swim meets … because those 30 people donated blood,” she said. Now, Peralta is urging everyone to consider giving the gift of life this Mother’s Day. “How amazing to show your love by saying, ‘I gave blood, just in case you needed it,'” she said.Consider giving the gift that could save a life by donating blood. You can search for an appointment at Vitalant’s website or or the American Red Cross’s website.
COLORADO (KCNC via CNN Newsource) —
Many of us are scrambling to find the perfect Mother’s Day gift, but what if there was a present that could truly save a life? Dr. Marci Peralta, a Colorado doctor of obstetrics and gynecology, knows firsthand the power of a single blood donation, and is hoping you can appreciate, too.
Every Mother’s Day is a celebration of life for Peralta, thanks to the generosity of strangers. A seemingly routine delivery for her own second child took a dramatic turn when the heart rate for the baby started to drop.
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“Things went from totally fine to very scary,” she told KCNC
Related video above: Last year, an expert explained that it’s common to see a decline in blood donations in the early summer months
Doctors were able to stabilized her baby, but the scares were not over. Peralta suffered a massive hemorrhage from an amniotic fluid embolism, a condition that can be fatal without immediate blood transfusions. Fortunately, the hospital had recently become a trauma center and was stocking a larger blood bank.
“I actually used all the blood in the blood bank for the hospital for that day,” Peralta said.
That amounted to 30 units, enough to completely replace her blood volume two-and-a-half times. Those 30 units came from 30 blood donors in Colorado, who she credits with saving her life.
“I’m here for birthdays, home runs, swim meets … because those 30 people donated blood,” she said.
Now, Peralta is urging everyone to consider giving the gift of life this Mother’s Day.
“How amazing to show your love by saying, ‘I gave blood, just in case you needed it,'” she said.
Consider giving the gift that could save a life by donating blood. You can search for an appointment at Vitalant’s website or or the American Red Cross’s website.